“Super-lawyer” Boies’ request to practice law in RI expected to be on for Friday

High-profile lawyer David Boies’ request to practice law in Rhode Island is expected to be considered by Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter early Friday, according to court spokesman Craig Berke. That’s the same morning when Taft-Carter is slated to hear a state motion to dismiss a union challenge to last year’s pension overhaul.

The granting of permission for an out-of-state lawyer to practice in Rhode Island is usually a formality.

Whatever the outcome of the hearing, Mr. Boies said he would continue to represent Rhode Island until all of the lawsuits and appeals were decided.

Mr. Boies, whose standard fee is $1,250 an hour, said $50 an hour was “the same fee that I charged the United States when I represented the Department of Justice in the Microsoft case.”

The state motion to dismiss the union challenge to the pension overhaul is scheduled to be heard at 9:30 am Friday.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court used to consider requests by out-of-state lawyers to practice in Rhode Island. That was an element in a controversy about 10 years ago involving the state Ethics Commission.